Re: CULT: Helpful Hints for Sure-Fire Bloom

My goodness Neil, You must be involved with the area you wrote about. Did you
study it for some reason or just live there?
Char Region 8
Neil A Mogensen wrote:
> Patti--
>
> Your geography is off a bit. Riverview Iris, west of Caldwell ID is next to
> the Oregon border, not the Washington. For a short time in history the entire
> three state area was ALL "Washington" but that was a very long time ago.
>
> The Boise Valley, where Riverview is located, is similar in climate but milder
> and warmer in winter than the Columbia basin in Eastern Washington, even
> though considerably higher elevations present than those along the Columbia.
> Geothermal heat deep underground contributes to the mild climate.
>
> Riverview is about 2300' (or perhaps a hundred feet higher) and can have
> temps about once in twenty years or so of 110 to 115 in the summer, and
> perhaps somewhat more rarely, 25-28 below zero in the winter. Most years are
> a lot milder than that, however. The recent decades, have seen some very
> intense droughts that have cut the availability of irrigation water. No
> mountain snow makes for very, very low rivers in the summer.
>
> The lower Snake River area has some seven rivers of sorts flowing into it and
> together before the Snake heads north to Lewiston and outward to the Columbia
> near Pasco, WN. Three come down out of Idaho mountains, another smaller three
> come down from lower Eastern Oregon and Idaho/Nevada OWYHEE country. Burnt
> River, the northern most of the seven, enters the Snake from Oregon in the
> most southern end of Hell's Canyon and is included in the count more by
> courtesy than by water content. You could wade it most years.....
>
> The entire area grows fabulous lime-loving or tolerant iris if they survive
> the winter bane of Botrytis. Increase is rapid, and rhizome size depends on
> the irrigation and fertilizer. The soils are marvelously fertile loams and
> loess with a fair sprinkling of lava ash that has drifted over the area from
> Cascade volcanos every few millenia. Just don't bother planting JI's unless
> you are willing to go to an awful lot of extra work. There are a few areas of
> exception, but not many. Just plain forget PCI's exist. Pure oncos don't
> usually survive the winter, but RC's, OG's (if you keep the summer water off)
> and the hybrids love the climate and soils and grow like weeds.
>
> There are some tulip-like native bulbs called "Sego Lilies" in the deserts
> around the irrigated valleys. They are exquisitely beautiful. The only
> native iris is missouriensis, which grows usually at the higher, more moist,
> elevations, but colonies can be found in pastures near the Payette River about
> 20 miles north of Riverview's location. They are not easily transplanted, I
> found. They grow readily from seed if you want to bother. Missouriensis is
> more pest than purty. Kinda fun tho.
>
> Neil Mogensen now near Asheville, NC
>
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